why does condensation happen inside car windows

Here's how you can fight back against the damp misting up your windows. to get rid of dirt particles that attract moisture. Get rid of any damp items like coats and towels. Fill a pair of tights with cat litter and leave in your car - this will help absorb excess moisture. Air out your car by leaving the windows open for a few hours (when safe to do so). Switch on your blower and A/C, and wipe down your windows thoroughly. It's bad enough having to live with the relentless dampness of the outside world without having to cope with it in our motors as well. But many of us have to deal with condensation misting up, or in some cases streaming down, our car windows. So what's the solution? What causes condensation in cars? Condensation happens when there's a difference between the temperature and moisture levels inside and outside the car. The car is a closed environment in which dampness and heat can build up. When this moisture meets the cold windscreen it changes from invisible vapour into water droplets, which stick to the inside of your glass and impede vision. Simply breathing inside a car is enough to start the process. Leaving damp items such as jackets, umbrellas, car mats or dog towels also contribute to condensation. Remember to always remove them when you leave the car. A blocked pollen filter, which cleans air entering the car, can be another possible cause. But another likely reason is that the car has a leak somewhere that s letting water in. It could be in a door, light or sunroof seal, or a leak in the heater matrix.

Tracking down a leak can be challenging. A mechanic may be able to help as they'll know where particular models tend to let water in. "Sorting out leaky cars is incredibly difficult," says Dave Richards, former editor of Classic Car Weekly and an experienced mechanic. "It often involves stripping the car down completely. And even when you've found the leak it often can't be fixed easily or fixing it isn't economically viable. "For example, sorting out a leaking heater matrix can cost anything between 200 and 1,000, which generally isn't worth if for an older car. "And unfortunately some cars start suffering from condensation at six or seven years of age. The older a car is, the more likely it is to develop this problem. " But there are a number of steps you can take to at least alleviate it. The first is to clean your windows thoroughly on the inside as well as on the outside. Dirt particles on the inside of the windows give the moisture inside the cabin a surface to attach themselves to, and will make the condensation problem worse. So use a cleaner designed for car windows and polish with a clean microfibre cloth or newspaper. "It's also important to," says Richards. "There are small drains as little as a few millimetres wide that are built into the body of the car, and if you don't clean it then they can become blocked. "This build-up of detritus can then create dampness which contributes to the problem. " A very effective solution is to keep something in the car that will absorb moisture.

Putting cat litter in a pair of old tights and keeping it under the seat is a popular strategy. There are also various portable car dehumidifiers which you can place around the cabin. Allowing the car to air whenever possible will also help. So if you're able to safely leave it with the windows open for a few hours, then do. If you've just got into your car and it's full of condensation, it's important to clear it before setting off so you have full visibility and can drive safely. Wipe the windows down thoroughly with a clean cloth and switch on the heater blower, directing it at the windscreen. What heater settings are best for clearing condensation? Instead of poring over your car's manual, use this quick run-down of the right settings to use when demisting your car: Set your blowers to full, but keep the temperature cold at first. Point them at the windscreen and windows. If you have A/C, switch it on. This will help keep the air dry. If your car has heated windscreen settings, switch them on. Gradually increase the temperature until the windows are clear. Most of us have seen some kind of fogged window. A fogged window is not exactly the same as fog in the air. Fog can happen for a multitude of reasons, but before we know why fog happens, we need to know what it is. What is Fog? Fog is a mass of thick moisture or water droplets. Sometimes fog is airborne, especially in near bodies of water. Other times it appears on surfaces. If you ve wondered why fog often appears on windows, it s mainly due to the temperature difference between the two sides of the thin glass surface.

Cold weather brings with it lots of frost and fog. The reason for this is the temperature difference between the inside and outside of your car. The heat from the inside of the car warms up the frost around the window and under the hood of the car. The moisture from the frost then sticks to the window as fog, trapped in a limbo of temperature changes. Likewise, the inside of the car window fogs when the moisture of the warm air comes into contact with the cold glass of the window. There are times when fog is already present outside. In areas with large bodies of water, wind currents, as well as temperature changes throughout the day can create fog. Wind traveling and cooling as it moves up mountains results in perpetual fog for seasons, or even year-round. These conditions canвt be prevented or avoided by drivers and are persistent. Excessive moisture on the outside or inside of a car can lead to window fogging. While some causes like rain and snow can fall into the outside conditions category, their effect is two-fold, landing them a spot here. Moisture left by outside conditions can accumulate in your car, staying there for long periods until redistributed back into the air. A common place this happens is the air conditioning, which can lead to sudden fogging of windows. Sweat, heavy breathing, pets, damp shoes and clothing as well as food and beverages in a closed space can also lead to moisture collecting over time.